An emphasis on mobility, collaboration and flexibility seem to be the order of the day for office spaces as we move into 2016. Influenced by the millennial generation, which shows a preference for collaborative work spaces over traditional offices, the open plan workplace now calls for a new approach – base camps and mobile offices.

Catering to an increasing number of so-called business nomads, the company Tribes (pictured) set up a network of mobile offices for workers from every field. The Tribes provides internet access, virtual offices, meeting rooms, flexible work areas suited to all requirements; a business space that isn’t an office in the traditional sense of the word.

Extensive open spaces are used to recreate interiors suited to a vast array of situations: numerous corners mingle with work terminals located among long desks and wide tables. There is an abundance of areas for meetings and conference, characterised by diverse styles and sizes.

Titled “The future of workplace”, leading design firm Gensler, last year published a study on office trends, explaining that new workforce generations are giving the office revolution renewed life, which is more mobile.

It explained: “Developers are transforming the commercial office building model as they refocus on their tenants’ need to recruit a younger, more creative and collaborative workforce. Its preference for buildings that map to its values puts a premium on sustainability, wellness, loft-like spaces, and locations that are active, transit-friendly, and walkable. As this suggests, another big shift is that office buildings are less of a stand-alone real estate product and more a part of mixed use.”

Most recently, Zaha Hadid Architects successfully delivered this type of concept for the Dominion office in Moscow, which will be home to many start-up companies. The architectural firm have created an impressive atrium which acts as a shared space to foster interaction between the employees of the building’s various companies.

Dominion office by ZHA, photo Hfton and Crow

In this month’s issue, CID talks to leading office furniture suppliers who share their valuable insights about the industry as well as their forecasts about the current trends in office design.

United Office Systems

Tell us about your company

United Office Systems has been known in the UAE for its superior quality and reasonable pricing for the last 10 years. The company specialises in interior design and fit-out works along with supplying a wide range of office furniture, home furniture, seating and flooring solutions that are sourced from Europe, USA and Asia. United’s extensive showroom has many international brands on display, including its own custom-made furniture, produced in United’s full-fledged joinery — “Unique Wood Works”.

What are your best selling products?

Quality products at affordable rates is our specialty. We have a well-designed showroom where high quality, affordable office furniture is on display. We provide a quality service to our customers and clients and offer them the best products for their offices, including high-quality chairs, desks, workstations and sofas. To meet market demands, we are now introducing quality warehouse storage systems at affordable prices that can be installed in a short period of time.

What projects have you been involved in?

We have a long experience in designing and fitting out offices, banks, call centres and retail showrooms and have recently completed several studios and setups for movie shoots. We have also supplied furniture to major clients in the UAE. Our team comprises of skilled professional staff from various backgrounds and professions like sales consultants, designers, supervisors, carpenters and other related professionals.

What challenges have you faced?

We see challenges as the stepping stone for us to give our best service to our clients. Hence, whatever challenges we face, we face them with confidence knowing that our team will put in 100% effort to satisfy our customers.

Established in 1969, the JG group companies have been dedicated to supplying their customers with office and filing furniture designed to meet their needs and made using the latest techniques. JG Group is a family-owned business with an international vision, geared towards quality and excellence in logistics and customer service and focused on delivering special projects for offices through the metal industry.

Recognised for its ability to interpret market needs and work with other manufacturers and market players, it has based its business strategy on customer and dealer loyalty. The company’s strategy over the years has been built on its expertise to manufacture quality furniture for its clients to fit any workspace requirement.

What are your best selling products?

Our two best selling ranges are Inspira, one of which is our high-end range and is very successful in Saudi Arabia. We also have Adapta+ system that is very popular in Europe, the UAE and Qatar. Our steel storage collection is also attracting great interest from our customers.

What projects have you been involved in?

Our two recent projects in Saudi Arabia include the King Fahad National Library and Ministry of Commerce and Industry, but we also supplied our furniture to the Qatar University in Doha, Qatar.

What challenges did they present?

Our products are tailored to perfectly meet the clients’ project requirements and specifications. With 46 years of experience and expertise in office furniture, our customers appreciate and trust our bespoke solutions.

Does this region differ in design compared to other countries?

A desk is a desk here in Europe and in the Middle East but the approach is quite different. The Middle East is a more demanding market than Europe and the major projects in this region are being managed at the same time and in many cases the traditional dealer seeks assistance from the manufacturer.

Bringing together technology and design with emotional intelligence, Nurus, a leading furniture manufacturer in Turkey, has the presence in more than 30 countries, supplying furniture for corporate offices to home offices, education institutions and airports. The company continues to take its global steps and with the opening of the Nurus MENA management centre in Dubai, it is strengthening its position in the region as well.

What are your best selling products?

Our new products Alava, Ashbury, Uneo and Isola are all formed using the concept of emotional intelligence. For instance, Ashbury enables a more open ambiance for communication and removes hierarchy in compliance with the new generations working culture. Alava wields a modern character within a shell-like appearance. It is versatile enough to introduce harmony into both office and living spaces.

What projects have you been involved in?

Recently we supplied furniture for the 12,500 m2 Deloitte headquarters, the 15,000 m2 Vodafone headquarters and the 9.000 m2 of Unilever and Adidas headquarters as well. Besides these projects, we have supplied big airport projects in Turkey including Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen, Izmir Adnan Menderes and Bodrum Airport.

What trends do you forecast for 2016 in office design?

We design products that allow co-operation between older and younger generations. Instead of placing furniture to a plan, we bring solutions that contribute to productivity and add to the happiness of workers. We work with the belief that the design of the office is the reflection of the company’s culture and this year we would like to expand the concept of bringing emotional intelligence into a professional working environment.

Established in 1998, Oasis Furniture has spread the passion and concept of ‘8+ Hours Healthy Office Seating Solution’ across 65 countries, covering markets in the Middle East, Africa and Asia. The company is one of the market leaders in designing healthy office furniture. The high-performance work zone by Oasis, embraces the prosperity through a work-live balance by the healthy working spaces design with flexible space optimisation. Oasis healthy office furniture rejuvenates one’s body, soul and mind for achieving the high-performance workplace. The made-to-move design of ‘4 work mode’ brings the high effectiveness and efficiency.

What are your best selling products?

Our creative research and development team has come out with four main brands which are Burosc, Arte Como, Perfect U and the Oasis family brand, to fulfil the market demand for a healthy office.

What projects have you been involved in?

Oasis Furniture has successfully delivered the high-performance work zone in projects such as Abu Dhabi Education Council Future School, Kalimat Group in Dubai, Digital Systems and Emaar Business Park. Oasis is committed to the research to develop a mindful working environment for offices, education and health institutions.

What trends do you forecast for 2016 in office design?

People desire a leverage of work-live balance and we see that many companies are now bringing the concept well-being into the work spaces through a distraction-free environment. We want people to enjoy a healthy seating and stay happy at a dynamic workplace by delivering our ‘8+ Hours Healthy Office Seating Solution’ concept.

An innovative provider for creating great working environments, Al-Futtaim Interiors has a widespread presence throughout the UAE and represents some of the world’s most popular and desirable brands within the commercial office and fit-out industry.

With a history spanning over 10 years, we specialise in office fit-out solutions including project planning and space optimisation, customised workplace fit-outs, high-quality office furniture, filing, storage and shelving management solutions as well as ideas for creating great working environments. We believe that irrespective of budget, with close client collaboration the team can create a ‘great working environment’ that incorporates the client’s operational requirements with the latest design concepts, trends, technology and a “wow” factor that brings pride to an office environment.

For the majority of clients, the general functional office design will continue based on form and function, but with the technological developments in LED lighting systems, including running cost reduction, designers will continue to experiment with space definition and mood balance that simply was not possible with the old tungsten or fluorescent technology.

With an annual turnover of $2.4bn, HNI is the second largest manufacturer of office furniture in the world. We go to market under several brands including Allsteel, HBF, Gunlocke, Paoli, HBF, Maxon, Lamex and BP Ergo, covering commercial office, healthcare and hospitality markets. Our goal isn’t simply to design the next new office system. It’s to find a better way of working. It’s not about creating a beautiful chair. It’s about making people comfortable so they are free to reach their full potential. And it’s not just about building an efficient workstation. It’s about helping people imagine ways to do even more.

What are your best selling products?

Across the HNI family of brands, we introduce over 10 new products each year. Two of our best selling products are Further and Mimeo from Allsteel. Further Desking is an agile furniture solution that embraces the ever-changing workplace and frees people to adapt to their environment – simply, elegantly, and efficiently – at their own pace. Mimeo Seating supports the changing workplace by enabling unrestricted movement and cross-functional interaction throughout the day. Its IntelliForm back technology and advanced materiality embrace the user, providing a consistent contact for personalised comfort.

The allocation of space continues to shift, from dedicated “I” spaces (workstations) to a greater emphasis on “we” spaces (shared spaces). Collaborative areas are even blending with focused work settings adjacent to shared team spaces or flexible project rooms. Workstations continue to get smaller due to increased real estate expenses and the need for less personal space due to time spent at desks. These trends have changed the impact seating has had on the office landscape. Seating is more noticeable than ever before. Therefore, there is a need for seating that is appropriately scaled, where a greater emphasis is placed on design and use of materials.

At Intermetal, we manufacture the products we sell and that is important to the customer. Established in 1989, we are renowned as a manufacturer of quality furniture. Our factory is equipped with CNC bending and routing machines, robotised welding, powder coating and chrome plating lines, advanced woodworking and upholstery. 2016 will see the expansion of our manufacturing capabilities to meet the increased market requirement.

What are your best selling products?

With the increased demand for collaborative and agile workspaces, our workstations are always at the top of the list. We have recently launched T2, a modular system that is multi-functional, flexible and versatile – a unique system that will make it easy for companies to grow and expand. With many options for customers to choose from, each is complemented with a wide range of executive desks, storage units and ergonomic seating options. Intermetal supports customers by providing space planning to ensure the furniture maximises the office area and that contributes to increased productivity in the workplace.

Furniture that is sustainable and organic will definitely be on the rise to comply with green building ratings. We will be seeing high-performance, compact workspaces that will deliver efficiency, personal productivity and collaboration. When designing office spaces, designers and end users will be looking for ergonomic furniture that will allow the person to change their posture during the day, providing flexibility as well as long-term health benefits. We offer a wide range of ergonomic seating and height adjustable tables that will allow the user to stand or sit.

Shaw Contract Group is one of the largest manufacturers of carpet floor coverings, including carpet tiles, broadloom and resilient products. Supplying all sectors, we have a dedicated hospitality division and global accounts team. Shaw Contract Group can assist in the design and development of interior schemes. As a vertically integrated manufacturer, we are self-sufficient in the manufacturing of our products. Rarely do we have to rely on third parties which means designers, installers and clients can get the best possible product at a competitive price.

All of our collections are tested in accordance with the US and European quality standards. One of the most environmentally driven manufacturers in the world Shaw Contract Group recycles more carpet than anyone else in the world. We run a free takeback and recycling scheme for Shaw Contract Group carpet product. Contact us and we will collect and recycle used Shaw carpet at no cost.

Our current projects include the University of Dubai in Academic City, Bukhatir Women’s college in Sharjah, Mafraq Hospital, Al Jaber Hospital in Kuwait, Qatar University Housing in Qatar, King Faisal University in Saudi Arabia and Apple offices in Riyadh.

What trends do you forecast for office design?

We believe that the clients’ demand for more flexible spaces will continue to develop. The full integration of various flooring types, such as luxury vinyl tiles with carpet tiles, will remain a significant part of interior design concepts. Also, an environmental accreditation for products and systems will continue to be the key requirement for commercial office interiors.